Birth Control Pill May Be Behind Rising Asthma Attacks In Young Women: Study (Image Credits: iStock)
A recent study has found that young women using the progesterone-only form of birth control pills may face a higher risk of asthma attacks. The research, published on May 7 in ERJ Open Research, highlights a potential health concern for women under the age of 35 who opt for this contraceptive method.
Conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr Chloe Bloom, a clinical senior lecturer in respiratory epidemiology at Imperial College London, the study examined health data from nearly 262,000 women aged 18 to 50 in the United Kingdom, all of whom had been diagnosed with asthma. The study spanned from 2004 to 2020.
The researchers compared asthma outcomes between women who had never used the contraceptive pill and those who started using either the combined estrogen-progesterone pill or the progesterone-only version. Their findings indicated a significant link between the progesterone-only pill and an increased incidence of asthma attacks in women under 35.
Specifically, these women experienced a 39 per cent greater risk of asthma attacks if they were using the progesterone-only pill. In contrast, no similar increased risk was observed in users of the combined pill. “We found that the combined pill did not affect whether women had asthma attacks, but some women who took the progesterone-only pill had more asthma attacks,” said Dr. Bloom.
This increased risk was particularly noticeable among women who were taking fewer asthma medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids or oral steroids, and those with elevated blood eosinophil levels—a marker of inflammation often associated with more severe forms of asthma. For these groups, the progesterone-only pill raised the risk of asthma attacks by 20 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively.
Dr Bloom emphasized that asthma remains a significant health concern among women, who are not only more likely to suffer from the condition but are also twice as likely to die from asthma as men. She explained, “To help prevent these deaths, we need a better understanding of why women are at greater risk.”
The study suggests that excessive progesterone could contribute to increased inflammation in the airways. However, researchers also acknowledged that other unknown factors might make some women more susceptible when using progesterone-only contraception.
Dr. Apostolos Bossios, a respiratory medicine expert at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm and an advisor to the European Respiratory Society, praised the study as a step forward in understanding gender-specific asthma risks. He advised women with asthma to have an open discussion with their doctors about contraception choices and asthma management.
“This study helps women and healthcare professionals make more informed decisions about which contraceptive pill might be best for them,” Dr. Bloom added.
As the team continues exploring the role of sex hormones in respiratory health, future research may examine how pregnancy or hormone replacement therapy impacts asthma in women.
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